Freedom of Expression

It has been a while since I last posted anything, and as with all other contributions this entry is not meant to illicit bad feelings or cram my views down others' throat, but more to promote logic, understanding, and tolerance amongst those who read my words. If you should find offense then I suggest the fault lies not in what I have written, but the truths these words may invoke. That being said...
“Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.” This quote by Winston Churchill speaks a truth we all adhere to in one fashion or another, and it is safe to say that there are many who do not welcome responses to the comments they make simply because they do not like to be told their way of thinking is flawed, or at the very least not indicative of the all-inclusivity we should consider when taking a stand for one thing or against another. Then again, we are dealing with opinions so I suppose logic and rationale are subject to take a back seat to passion (although this in and of itself is not good policy). Another (viewed) problem is not so much the response made, but the person from whom the response originates. Let us say a person who promotes gay marriage speaks out against the wholesale slaughter of animals so we humans can enjoy wearing their fur. The fur industry may not agree with gay marriage, so they rebuke the person even though this person's ideologies bring awareness to the plight. Should this occur?
Churchill also said, "Your freedom of expression ends where my nose begins." We definitely do not have to be careful of what we say, but we have to keep in mind that there is a time and place for everything, and if we do not adhere to certain precepts that govern society--in short, if our way of thinking is "I-I-I, Me-Me-Me, My-My-My" with no consideration given to the fallout this may cause--then we might as well paint a bullseye on our butts because karma will always be waiting in the wings to take a big bite out of us.
Did something happen recently to warrant me blogging about this? Am I, in my usual fashion, providing examples in the hope of bringing better understanding before hitting upon the real heart of the matter? The answer to both is a resounding yes.
Yesterday my daughter made a post saying she should not have to "like" and "share" someone else's post to prove she loved and believed in the Judeo-Christian God. I responded that I believed as she did, but my reason for NOT saying the same is that because I am an atheist people would take what I said the wrong way. Well, by simple virtue of the fact that I "publically" announced my atheism, she took offense to me agreeing with her. Barely two weeks ago I made a similar observation to a post my brother made. My brother had liked and shared a picture that asked all fathers who loved their sons to like and share the post. I commented that one does not have to like and share something such as that in order for it to remain true. He never made a comment to my comment, so I don't know if he agreed or if he took offense to me stating as much. Beyond that, I am inundated with shares and comments all my Facebook "friends" contribute asking me as well as their other "friends" to like and share if I know a cancer survivor, believe in equal rights, support Obama or Romney, like Dunkin' Doughnuts, believe the South will rise again...you get the idea. They all are sharing opinions, informing us of the philosophies that govern their lives. If I like any of these, I will express my like--or dislike--for it. If I choose to share, then I will do so. I should not have to be told to do something as simple as use common sense. The bottom line is this, though: Whenever something is posted on Facebook we all are given the choices of "like," "comment," and "share." We certainly do not have to do any of the three, but if we choose to do so, especially in the case of "comment," should the provider of the original quote or share not respect our opinions as much as they wish theirs to be respected? I will be the first to admit that I wonder why people sit in front of their computer and spend 45 minutes sharing 50 things i could care less about, but I respect the fact that they care enough to share these things. I do not have to like or share them simply because they come from a "friend," but if I choose to comment, then all I ask is that you respect me enough to allow the comment to stand, and that goes out not only to my daughter, but to the scores of people who have deleted my comments over the years simply because I did not agree with them, or worse yet, because they did not agree with me. One cannot expect to make a post and receive no differing opinion. If you do not want your post commented on, then do not post it in the first place; or is expressing your opinion--right or wrong as it may be--and seeing your words on the screen more important than that?